Tag Archives: cannabis

Often, our lovely guardians of personal lifestyle, the DEA and the Justice Department, will use their extensive experience with science-y stuff to proclaim that there are ‘no known medical benefits of cannabis’, and recently certain hack doctors with cushy board positions have somehow tried to make the same proclamation. Around here, at least, these blatant lies are repeated verbatim and without question by the local media; which for the most part is happy to simply play the role of announcer of corporate and political propaganda. As nothing pisses me off, and I really mean nothing, more than bad science, I would like to give you allthesedifferentstudieson theeffects of the cannabinoid CBD and the compounds related to the metabolization thereof on nerve cells, including the brain.

The gist of all this seems to be that one of the cannabinoids other than THC has a relationship with its receptors that enhances nerve cell regeneration and fosters a natural sort of biofeedback in the nerve cells. This latter effect being at least partially responsible for the ability of cannabis to reduce inflammation. I am on the bus and not really interested in hunting it down, but there is also very legitimate research that indicates some cannabinoids most likely have the ability to slow, and in some case even stop, the mytosis of certain cancer cells. Now, I am unaware if this is the case, but for a substantial amount of time the research on the medicinal value of cannabis in the US was strictly limited to finding a chemical alternative, such as Marinol. Consequently, most research is done overseas, or by rogue doctors in the US (God bless ’em) and generally ignored by the American medical ‘industry’, which is controlled in entirety by the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. When you add to this the amount of influence that both of those latter two industries have on politics, and it is fairly easy to see why so many of our elected officials, doctors, and law enforcers remain ‘mystified’ about the medical benefits of cannabis. The best way around this system has been clear for years, and is the legalization of cannabis. So, come on, let’s just do that already and get on with our lives, which may actually be prolonged with some casual cannabis use.

Due in large part to the propaganda efforts of the United States government, and the blind loyalty of the American press, smoking marijuana has long had the stigmata of promoting a life of wasteful laziness and intellectual devolution. This, perhaps more than the generally worthless prohibition, has created a sort of proverbial closet for the more intellectual members of the Cannabis Enthusiast Community, or users of other government-prohibited substances. To come out as a ‘user’ can lead to the branding of any of your work as simply the product of a ‘drug-addled’ mind, particularly anything that breaks with convention. Consequently, a surprisingly large percentage of the world’s scientists remain quiet about not only their own personal marijuana use but, more importantly, the fact that it isn’t just useless hippies and college kids that smoke pot. Continue reading →